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FirstChip chipYC2019 USB2DISK 128GB Shows 0GB No Media – Firmware Recovery with MPTool

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User question

HI
I need help please
i need help pls
flash usb 128 gb read 0GB no media
i firmware recovery
details
Description: [G:]USB Mass Storage Device(NAND USB2DISK)
Device Type: Mass Storage Device

Protocol Version: USB 2.00
Current Speed: High Speed
Max Current: 100mA

USB Device ID: VID = FFFF PID = 1201

Device Revision: 0000

Manufacturer: NAND
Product Model: USB2DISK
Product Revision: 0.00

Controller Vendor: FirstChip
Controller Part-Number: chipYC2019
USB Device ID: VID = FFFF PID = 1201

Artificial Intelligence Response

Direct answer to the question

• Your USB stick is not “dead” but its FirstChip chipYC2019 controller has fallen back to boot-ROM (VID FFFF / PID 1201).
• Standard OS tools cannot help; you must reload the controller firmware with the dedicated “FirstChip Mass-Production Tool (MPTool)” that supports chipYC2019.
• Re-flashing will erase everything; if the data matters, stop and use a professional NAND-off recovery service.

Key points
– Identify the exact controller (confirm with ChipGenius/ChipEasy).
– Download the correct MPTool build (2021-2023 versions recognise chipYC2019).
– Run MPTool as Administrator on a native USB 2.0 port, let it low-level-format and rewrite firmware.
– If the NAND is healthy the drive will come back with its real capacity; if the tool hangs or reports “NAND not found” the hardware is physically damaged or the stick is a counterfeit.

Detailed problem analysis

  1. Symptoms & interpretation
    • 0 GB / “No Media” = controller cannot initialise NAND array.
    • VID FFFF / PID 1201 = FirstChip ROM-mode waiting for firmware.
    • “NAND” + generic strings prove firmware area is blank or corrupted.

  2. Why it happens
    • Unsafe removal, power loss, or ​bad blocks in the firmware zone.
    • Fake-capacity sticks are often sold with marginal NAND that quickly corrupts.

  3. FirstChip architecture recap
    • ROM “stage-0” enumerates as FFFF:1201.
    • MPTool uploads a small loader via EP0, scans NAND, builds the Bad-Block Table (BBT), then writes a customised firmware + translation layer (FTL) into reserved blocks 0…N.
    • Correct VID/PID, manufacturer strings, over-provisioning and ECC parameters are stored in the CONFIG.INI file shipped with MPTool.

  4. Preparatory steps
    a. Confirmation
    – Run ChipGenius/ChipEasy → verify “Controller: FirstChip FC1179 / chipYC2019”.
    b. Environment
    – Win7/10/11 ×64, local Admin.
    – Disable antivirus temporarily (tools are low-level and unsigned).
    – Plug drive directly into a rear-panel USB 2.0 port; remove other USB mass-storage devices.

  5. Obtaining the correct MPTool
    • Community repositories:
    – usbdev.ru > Files > “FirstChip MPTools”
    – elektroda.com forum threads for chipYC2019
    – flashboot.ru & russian-hosted mirrors (use browser translation).
    • Look for versions 1.0.4.x – 1.0.5.x dated 2021-2023; confirmed working builds:
    – FCMpTool v1.0.5.2_20220601
    – FCMpTool v1.0.4.9_20211020
    • SHA-256-check the archive before execution.

  6. Firmware reload procedure (quick path)

    1. Unzip MPTool → run FCMpTool.exe as Administrator.
    2. Default password for “Setting” button: blank, 320, 1234 or 123456.
    3. Inside Setting:
      – Choose “Auto-detect Flash”.
      – Set desired VID/PID (e.g. 0x090C/0x1000) or leave default.
      – Select “Scan & Low Level Format”; leave ISP option “Auto”.
      – If tool offers “FW.bin” path, keep the bundled file.
    4. Click “Start” → tool uploads loader, scans NAND, writes firmware, verifies.
    5. “PASS” (green) = success. Click “Stop”, close tool.
    6. Unplug/re-plug drive → Windows should show ~119 GB (for 128 GB) and ask to format.

  7. If MPTool fails
    • Try another MPTool build first.
    • Failure codes:
    – “BBT over limit” / “NAND not found” = worn-out or unsoldered NAND.
    – “CheckID FAIL” = incompatible tool or wrong flash ID table.
    • Repeated failure → hardware fault: replace stick or resort to professional chip-off extraction.

  8. Verifying the restored drive
    • Run H2testw or F3 to map the full address space; any mis-match reveals fake capacity.
    • Re-partition with Disk Management, format NTFS/exFAT.

Current information and trends

• Last public MPTool builds (v1.0.5.x) add support for new 96-/128-layer TLC NAND used in late 2022 cheap flash drives.
• Rise in counterfeit high-capacity drives (advertised 1 TB but real 32–64 GB); they often carry FirstChip controllers flashed with manipulated firmware.
• Industry moves to USB-C and USB 3.2; modern controllers (Phison, SM) ship with signed firmware preventing easy MP-reflash—FirstChip remains one of the few still “open” to DIY repair.

Supporting explanations and details

• FirstChip model map:
FC1178 → chipFC1178,
FC1179 → chipYC2019 / chipMJ2020,
FC1188 → USB 3.0 variant.
• Typical NAND ID table row: 0x98 DE 95 3A (Kioxia 64-layer TLC, 64 GiB per die).
• ECC: chipYC2019 uses LDPC-512 Byte sectors, 3-bit BCH fallback.

Ethical and legal aspects

• MPTool is internal factory software, shared without official license—use at your own risk and respect local laws.
• Distributing modified firmware that overstates capacity is fraudulent; avoid re-selling such devices.
• Always warn end-users that re-flashing destroys data; get written consent if repairing third-party media.

Practical guidelines

Implementation best-practice
– Keep a powered USB hub with individual switches to reset stubborn devices quickly.
– Label each MPTool folder with tested controller IDs.
Potential challenges & mitigation
– Driver signing blocks on Win11 → use “Advanced startup” → “Disable driver signature enforcement”.
– Tool crash mid-flash → unplug, re-insert; the drive re-enumerates in boot-ROM and can be re-flashed.

Possible disclaimers or additional notes

• Success rate depends on NAND health; worn-out flash or cracked solder joints cannot be fixed in software.
• Even after a “PASS”, the stick may become unstable under heavy write loads—do not entrust mission-critical data.
• Some sticks advertised as 128 GB actually contain only a 16 GB die; MPTool will reveal the real capacity and downsize accordingly.

Suggestions for further research

• Explore open-source flash reverse-engineering projects (FlashROM, Open-NAND-Flash-Interface).
• Investigate secure USB-flash design with signed firmware (cf. Phison UASP drives).
• Study LDPC vs BCH ECC schemes and their impact on consumer-grade TLC endurance.

Brief summary

Your USB drive is stuck in FirstChip boot-ROM mode; the only realistic DIY remedy is to reload the controller firmware with the correct FirstChip MPTool version for chipYC2019. Acquire the tool from a reputable repository, run it on a Windows PC with administrator rights, let it scan and low-level-format the NAND, and—if the flash memory itself is still sound—the device will reappear with its true capacity. If MPTool cannot finish or reports NAND errors, the hardware is defective and cannot be repaired by software. Always expect total data loss during the process and verify the capacity afterward to rule out counterfeit media.

User question

dist formet

Artificial Intelligence Response

Direct answer to the question

  • “Dist formet” is almost certainly a miss-spelling of “disk format”.
  • To make a storage device (USB flash, SSD, HDD, SD-card) usable again you must A) create a partition table and B) format that partition with a file-system (exFAT, NTFS, FAT32, ext4, etc.).
  • If the device still reports “0 GB / No Media”, formatting utilities will not help; the controller firmware must be repaired first (e.g. with FirstChip MPTool for chipYC2019 controllers).

Key points
• Use Windows Disk Management, File Explorer or DiskPart for normal devices.
• Choose exFAT for cross-platform USB sticks ≥32 GB, NTFS for Windows-only, FAT32 only when legacy firmware requires it.
• Quick-format erases the file-system structures only; a full format scans the entire NAND/platter.
• After formatting, verify real capacity with H2testw (Windows) or F3 (Linux/macOS).
• If the drive shows “No Media”, repair the controller first; otherwise formatting will fail.

Detailed problem analysis

  1. What “formatting” really does
    • Low-level controller format (inside USB/NVMe/SATA firmware, invisible to OS).
    • Partitioning (Master Boot Record or GPT written to LBA 0).
    • High-level file-system format (FAT/exFAT/NTFS/ext4, etc.).
  2. File-system choices for removable flash
    • exFAT: Microsoft specification now royalty-free (2019), supported by Windows 7+, macOS 10.6+, most modern Linux kernels, handles files >4 GB, minimal overhead.
    • NTFS: Journaling, ACLs, compression, but write support on macOS/Linux needs extra drivers.
    • FAT32: Maximum file size 4 GB, single-threaded FAT updates; use only for UEFI firmware or old devices.
  3. Quick vs Full format on flash
    • Full format on SSD/USB performs a write-verify pass that shortens flash life; quick format + H2testw/F3 is faster and more diagnostic.
  4. Why “No Media / 0 bytes” happens
    • Firmware area in NAND went corrupt → controller boots into ROM-only mode and stops exporting LUN.
    • VID FFFF/PID 1201 (common) means FirstChip boot ROM waiting for firmware.
    • Until firmware is rewritten, the OS sees an empty logical device; no partitioning tool can format it.

Current information and trends

• exFAT is now the default on many cameras, drones, and Android 13+ “adoptable storage”.
• Windows 11’s Disk Management is being migrated to “Settings → System → Storage → Disks & Volumes” but the MMC snap-in (diskmgmt.msc) still exists.
• NVMe drives expose NVMe Format NVM command; modern tools (e.g. nvme format) can perform secure-erase and logical block size changes.
• Flash counterfeit detection remains a major issue; Amazon/Ebay drives advertising 1 TB at $10 almost always re-map capacity in firmware. Tools like F3/H2testw remain the frontline defense.

Supporting explanations and details

Example: clean and format a stubborn USB stick with DiskPart (Win10/11) 

> diskpart
DISKPART> list disk
DISKPART> select disk N (double-check size!)
DISKPART> attributes disk clear readonly
DISKPART> clean (wipes partition table)
DISKPART> convert gpt (or mbr for legacy BIOS)
DISKPART> create partition primary
DISKPART> format fs=exfat quick label="USB128"
DISKPART> assign letter=E
DISKPART> exit

Linux equivalent with gdisk + mkfs.exfat: 

# lsblk # identify /dev/sdX
# wipefs -a /dev/sdX
# gdisk /dev/sdX
o (create new GPT) w (write)
# mkfs.exfat -n USB128 /dev/sdX1

Ethical and legal aspects

• Formatting irretrievably destroys user data; ensure the owner has given explicit consent (GDPR, CCPA).
• Secure-erase or crypto-erase SSDs that held personal data before disposal or resale.
• Do not distribute proprietary firmware images without licence; many MPTools contain copyrighted code.

Practical guidelines

Implementation sequence for a recovered USB flash:

  1. Reflash firmware with the OEM Mass-Production Tool (if needed).
  2. Disconnect/reconnect; verify Windows now shows correct capacity in Disk Management.
  3. Create one GPT partition occupying entire space (future-proof >2 TB).
  4. Quick-format to exFAT with default allocation size.
  5. Run H2testw/F3—must complete without “FAIL” or “corrupted at offset …”.
  6. Label the volume, safely eject, retest on another machine.

Potential challenges & mitigation
• “Windows was unable to complete the format” – run DiskPart → clean, or use Linux dd if=/dev/zero to overwrite first 1 MiB.
• Write-protect jumpers in firmware – DiskPart attributes disk clear readonly works only if flag is logical, not hardware.
• Drive overheats or disconnects during full-scan – indicates physical flash degradation; scrap it.

Possible disclaimers or additional notes

• Firmware recovery does not repair worn-out NAND; restored drives can fail again under heavy writes—keep no irreplaceable data on them.
• If capacity after MPTool is far smaller than advertised, the device was counterfeit; there is no software fix.

Suggestions for further research

• Compare exFAT, FAT32, NTFS, APFS performance on modern flash; study wear pattern differences with various cluster sizes.
• Investigate open-source mass-production tool alternatives to proprietary Windows-only binaries.
• Monitor JEDEC UFS removable (UFS Card) adoption; may supersede SDXC in high-end cameras.

Brief summary

“Disk format” prepares a storage medium by writing a fresh file-system after a partition table is created. For healthy devices use File Explorer, Disk Management or DiskPart (Windows) or mkfs (Linux). Choose exFAT for large, cross-platform USB sticks. Always verify capacity with H2testw/F3. If the OS reports “No Media / 0 bytes”, fix the controller firmware first (e.g. FirstChip MPTool for chipYC2019). Never rely on a newly recovered flash drive for critical data without thorough integrity testing.

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